10 things you need to know this morning in Australia

1. It’s RBA interest rate decision day. The market is split on whether a 25 basis point cut to a record low of 2.00% is in play for today’s announcement. More than half of the 30 economists surveyed by Bloomberg expect the RBA to hold, but that could send the dollar soaring. Aussies love to see a strong dollar, but cheap holidays, steak and lower mortgage payments are good too. So with that in mind, here’s your very thorough preview to today’s call.

2. And while we’re on the topic of the Aussie dollar, it’s worth noting in the context of the RBA – and proof forex traders are betting on a cut – that it lagged the latest US dollar sell-off with a high of 0.7694 swiftly rejected over the weekend. It’s back at 0.7599 this morning.

3. Here’s a nice shout-out for our wide brown land from Captain Scott Kelly aboard the International Space Station. Apparently, we’re brightening their day up there:

4. Courtney Barnett is officially a big deal. The singer-songwriter dubbed Australia’s “natural successor to Tim Rogers” this week saw her first album Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit debut at No 1 on Billboard’s alternative weekly album list. Somewhere below her sits new albums from Modest Mouse, Imagine Dragons and Hozier, so success is sorted. Now all we have to decide is whether she’s from Sydney (born), Hobart (school/parents’ home), or Melbourne (current).

6. Enzo Ferrari himself once called the Jaguar E-Type the most beautiful car ever made. That’s why sports car aficionados everywhere – and one Sydney owner – were heartbroken on the weekend when the NSW Police Traffic and Highway Patrol Command posted this pic on its Facebook page:

Luckily, no one was injured in the Frenchs Forest bingle, but the owner of the $120,000, 1973 classic is going to struggle to find parts.

7. Remember Leo the homeless coder? If not, he’s the New Yorker who two years ago was offered the choice of $US100 or coding lessons from a man named Patrick McConlogue. Leo took the coding lessons, and by the end of the year was all over the news after releasing eco-friendly ride share app “Trees for Cars”. Today, he’s still homeless – here’s why.

9. Snapchat has updated its emoji coda and it’s kind of a big deal. Now, next to some of your Snapchat friends’ names, you’ll see an emoji that indicates the status of your photo-sharing friendship. There’s six different levels of connection, ranging from best friends to our favourite: “You’re their BF… but they’re not yours.” Ouch. Snapchat also launched two other features – one to lighten dark photos and one to nudge you to Snap old friends that you haven’t connected with in a while.